Cushion-heel shoe



June 25, 1929. HURLEY I I 1,718,906

CUSHION HEEL SHOE Filed April 1, 1925 sity for nails, especially at the heel portion of the shoe, is avoided. To this end the welt June 25, 1929.

EDWARD F. HU'RLEY, 0F ROGKLAND, MASSACHUSETTS.

CUSHION HEEL SHOE.

Application filed April 1, 1925. Serial No. 19,977.

This invention relates to boots and shoes and has for one of its objects the provision ofa boot or shoe having a cushion heel support which is a corporate part of the shoe structure. I

A further object of the invention is to provide aboot or shoe with a cushion heel support which extends through the sole of the shoe and preferably into the heel of the shoe.

A yet further object of the invent-ion is to provide a boot or shoe with a yielding heel seat extended entirely to the tread face of the heel of the shoe.

A further object is the provision of a boot or shoe having a resilient, as a rubber, heel, and a resilient seat for the heel of the foot, which seat rests upon the resilient shoe heel.

it yet further ob]ect is generally to improve the construction of boots and shoes.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe partially brolren away at the heel-portion to illustrate the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lasted shoe at an intermediate stage in the manufacture thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the heelportion of the shoe and particularly illustrating the aperture adapted to receive a part ofthe cushion heel support.

Fig. 4 is a view of the heel-portion of the outer sole and illustrating particularly the aperture adapted to receive a part of the cushion heel support.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the heel cushion.

.l have herein illustrated my invention as applied to a welt shoe and preferably the construction of the shoe is such that the neces- 10 of the shoe extends around the heel portion of the shoe and the upper 12 and inner sole 14 are attached together an d to the welt 10 by a line of stitching 16. In accordance with this invention the heel portion of the inner sole 14 is formed or provided with an aperture or opening 18 therein, which aperture preferably is conformed with the out line of the heel of the shoe, or is ofD-shape.

Preferably said aperture is as large as is practical and consequently'the curved wall thereof lies close to the line of stitching 16. The aperture, however, is adapted to lie within the outline of the heel of the shoe.

The outer sole 20 is sewed to the welt in the usual manner. The heel portion of said outer sole is formed with an aperture 22 to extend the heel cushon therein which is conformed in shape with the aperture 18 in the inner sole and both apertures are adapted to be in register, as shown 1n Figs. 1 and 2, when the outer sole is attached to the shoe. v

A resilient, or rubber,'heel 24 is employed and in lieu ofnailing the heel to the shoe a heel lift 26 of suitable thickness and com-' posed preferably of crepe rubber is cemented to the heel portion of the outer sole 20 as shown in Fig. 4; and the rubber heel 24 is cemented to the lift. Said lift .is formed with a recess 28 which is conformed and is adapted to register withthe recess 18 in the inner sole and the recess 22 in the outer sole whereby to forma passage from the interior of the shoe to the upper face of the resilient heel 24, in which passage the cushion heel support is received.

The cushion heel support, illustrated in Fig. '5, is formed of a soft and yielding material as sponge rubber. It includesa relatively thick pad 30 which is shaped to conform with the interior of the shoe at the heel portion thereof. The front edge of the pad may be skived as at- 32 whereby to lie against the inner sole and provide a gradual declination from the pad to the inner sole in the shank portion of the shoe. The cushion heel support is also formed or provided with a reduced extension or plug 34 which may be integral with the pad 30 and which depends below said pad. Said plug is shaped to conform and fit snugly within the aligned apertures in the heel portion of the shoe and is disposed therein as illustrated in Fig. 1 with the bottom of the plug resting against the upper face of the resilient heel 24 of the shoe.

The pad 30 of the cushion heel support may be adhesively afiixed to the inner heel of the sole of the shoe whereby to secure it in place.

A shoe lining 36 may be disposed over the inner sole and the pad of the heel support as shown in Fig. 1.

This construction above set forth provides a relatively great depth of heel cushion and in fact when a resilient heel is employed a yielding support for'the heel of the foot is provided throughout the entire thickness of the heel as the resilientheel serves, in effect,

. entirely through the shoe to the outer heel face.

The shoe is preferably built up on a last which is provided with an extension or plate 40 at the heel portion; and the thickness of the plate is adapted to be approximately equal to thethickness of. the pad of the cushion when said cushion is normally compressed by the weight of the wearer. The shoe, consequently, is shaped to conform to the foot of the wearer, as would not be the case' if the shoe were built up in the usual manner and the cushion heel support subsequently inserted. The construction above described obviates the necessity for nails at the heel of the shoe.

While the invention is here'shown inassociation with a resilient or rubber heel, it is obvious that a leather heel may be employed,

in which case the rubber lift 26 will e supplanted with a similarly formed leather lift.

The construction may be otherwise modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Iclaim: v

1. A shoe having a sole provided with an opening therethrough in the middle of the heel-seat thereof, a heel beneath said opening, and 'abroad thick cushion support in upon and upstanding a ove and overlying substantially the entire heel supporting inner surface of the sole, said cushion support characterized by having a portion of in- -cr'eased.thickness which occu ies the aforeformed of highly yielding orous rubber restouter sole under the aligned apertures, and a highly yielding porous rubber cushion heel support overlying practically the entire heel portion of the inner sole and also overlying the aperture therein and having a reduced extension received in said aligned apertures and seated upon said heel.

In testimony whereof, I havesigned my name'to this specification.

EDWARD F. HURLEY, 

